pattern baldness

Hereditary balding or thinning is the most common cause of hair loss. The tendency can be inherited from either the mother’s or father’s side of the family. Women with this trait develop thinning hair, but do not become completely bald. The condition is called androgenetic alopecia and it can start in the teens, twenties, or thirties. There is no cure, although medical treatments are available that may help some people.

Hereditary hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia, is marked by a progressive miniaturization of hair follicles, causing a shortening of the hair’s growth cycle. As the growth phase shortens, the hair becomes thinner and shorter. Eventually there is no growth at all. Because hereditary hair loss is gradual, the sooner treatment is started, the better the chances of results.